Improved fruit-jar



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN LETCHWOR'IH, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVED FRUIT-JAR.

Specification forming part of Letters Pa To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN LE'rcHwoRTH, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented an Improved Gap for Preserve-Jars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention consists of a cap for preservejars, constructed asfully described hereinafter, and forming an efficient, simple, and cheap cover for air-tight jars.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation.

On reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part oi this specification, Figure 1 is a vertical section of a preserve-jar with my improved cap A; Fig. 2, an exterior view of thejar with the cap removed; Fig. 3, a plan view of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a sectional view of the cap; and Fig. 5, a sectional plan on the line l 2, Fig. 4.

A is a glass preserve-jar, and on an inclined ledge, a, which is formed on the neck, rests a band, b, of gum or other elastic material, einbracing the projection fat the mouth of the jar. At the outer side ofthe neck, below the ledge a, are two or more projections or ribs, c e, which extend beyond the outer edge of the band b, and are separated from each other by recesses fo, Fig. 3.

The projections e are inclined at theirlower edges, as shown in Fig. 2, for a purpose described hereinafter.

B is the cap, which consistsof a single plate of metal so spun, stamped, or otherwise constructed as to form a iiange, h, the latter being indented from the outside, so as to form on the inside three projections, t' t' t'.

When the jar is to be closed the cap is brought over the neck of the jar, so that the lugs i t may be passed downward through the recesses x x until the top of the cap rests on the gum band b, when the cap is turned in the direction of the arrow, Fig.2. As the lugs i are brought against the lower inclined edges of the projections e e, the cap will be drawn tent No. 55,512, dated June 12, 1866.

downward and the'band b will be compressed Ibetween the top of the cap and the ledge a, the air being thus effectually excluded from the jar.

When the jar is to be unsealed the cap can be removed by raising it, after the lugs t' have been brought beneath the recesses :o a'.

I am aware that glass and heavy metal caps with projections on the inside of the iianges and adapted to jars, somewhat similar to that shown and described, have been heretofore used; but caps of this class are expensive to make and are liable to break the jar when screwed down too tightly.

A cap made of thin metal, as above described, will seal the jar as efficiently as the ordinary glass cap; moreover it is notliable to be broken, and will yield to such an extent as to accommodate itself to any irregularities in thejar, so that the latter cannot be readily broken when the cap is turned down to an unusual degree. The principal advantage of my invention, however', is that the thin metal enables me to make the necessary internal projections, t i, by simple external indentations, whereas in making the glass and other caps the projections cannot be made without molds or other expensive appliances 5 hence my improved caps have the merit of cheapness as well as efficiency.

It will be evident that two, three, or more internal projections,t' z', may be used, there being a corresponding number oi' inclined projections, o e, on the neck of the jar.

I claim as myinvention, and desire to secure by Letters PatentrIhe cap B, made of thin metal and having internal projections made by external indentations, the whole being applied to the neck of a jar, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN LETOHWOR'IH. 

